Howling Moon
by Cinderstorm13
Summary: Howling Moon likes kits, but could never imagine having them. She wants to be leader. But when the mountain crumbles, and Howling Moon is on her own, with three beautiful kits, she has to find help, and fast. Along the way, she finds out that kits aren't as much as a hassle as she thought. She might just get saved by one...
1. A Midnight Walk

All was quiet. Not even the sound of kits playing or warriors snoring.

Howling Moon stretched her muzzle to the sky. There was a dark orange moon hanging and the surrounding was pitch black. Stars were sparkling along the black void, and Howling Moon hoped her ancestors could see her. She was sitting outside a large cave that was her home. She lived in BlizzardClan, the Clan of mountains, and the small trickle of a waterfall reached her ears.

A padding sound alerted her, and a dark shadow slid through the entrance of the cave.

"Hello, Dark Shadow," Howling Moon meowed calmly. Her sister, Dark Shadow, settled down in a laying position, her long, black tail around her back paws. The white splash on her forehead shone in the night, reflecting the glow of the moon. "Shouldn't you be back with the kits?"

Dark Shadow, a queen in the kit-cave, had two kits, Jagged Edge, and Silent Whisper. She sighed. "They are sound asleep, and if they wake up, Burning Tree with tend to them. She knows I like to take midnight walks." Dark Shadow closed her eyes. "They are a pawful."

Howling Moon silently agreed. Jagged Edge was full of mischief, and Silent Whisper was as quiet as snow. "When will they become apprentices?" She hoped it was soon. The faster those kits get a mentor, the better.

"Not for a while yet. They are only three full-moons old." Dark Shadow opened her eyes again. They were a light blue. "Besides. I'm not ready to give them away just yet."

Howling Moon crinkled her nose, thinking of life inside the nursery. Sure, it was comfy, with apprentices changing the moss and bringing the fresh-kill, but with the kits mewling all night? And what about the urge to run and fight and hunt? Howling Moon shook her head. She would never have kits. Instead, she focused her mind on being leader.


	2. More about BlizardClan

About the Clan and cats:

Howling Moon belongs to a Clan called BlizzardClan. It's home is in the mountains, a safe, well-guarded area that few cats dare to tread, who aren't BlizzardClan, of course. These are the cats in the Clan.

the only elder is Bird's Song. kits in the Clan, have a denmate named Snowy River.

Leader: Stone Water - dark gray tom with dark blue eyes

Deputy: Yellow Starlight - light yellow tom with golden in his light amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Heather that Tangles Pelt (Heather) - oak brown she-cat with amber eyes

Warriors:

Howling Moon - light brown she-cat with black streaks in her pelt and light amber eyes

Hawk's Nest - shady brown tom with gray stripes and blue eyes

Poppy Meadow - white she-cat with yellow patches and blue eyes

Dusted Ground - light gray tom with dark gray layers and deep blue eyes (Father of Jagged Edge and Silent Whisper)

Clouded Mountain - pure white tom with brown paws and tail tip with blue eyes (Father of Snowy River)

Feather Petal - mostly brown she-cat with red tortoiseshell patches and light green eyes.

Apprentices:

Striped Lion - golden tom with thick dark brown stripes. (Mentor is Clouded Mountain)

Tiger's eyes - Golden she-cat with dark dark dark brown almost black, stripes and dark yellow eyes (Mentor is Howling Moon)

Queens:

Dark Shadow - black she-cat with brown paws and blue eyes.

Jagged Edge - mostly black tom with very dark gray stripes and blue eyes

Silent Whisper - light gray she-cat with brindle on her face and paws and blue eyes

Owl's Feather - mostly white she-cat with dark layers in her fur and blue eyes

Snowy River - pure white she-cat with blue eyes and a brown tail tip

Elder:

Bird's Song - light blue she-cat with dark blue eyes and white wisps in her fur

 **STORY**

Howling Moon woke up the next day with Jagged Edge bouncing around the den. His fur was stuck up around his ears, and most of it was ungroomed.

"Jagged Edge!" Howling Moon hissed. "Get out of here before you wake Hawk's Nest!"

The older warrior was growling slightly in his sleep, his paws twitching. He was sleeping in from his guard duty the night before.

Jagged Edge cocked his head, looking at Hawk's Nest. "Nothing could wake up that old tom!" he crowed. "He's too deaf to hear anything!"

Howling Moon stood up, standing threateningly over the kit. "You should treat the senior warriors with respect." She growled softly.

The kit crouched low to the nest he was in. "I'm sorry!" He cried, before racing out the cave with his tail stuck between his hind legs.

Howling Moon chuckled, remembering her as a kit, and followed him out.


	3. The Avalanche

Howling Moon yawned, curling up in her nest. Just a bit ago, she went with a few other Clanmates, chosen by Stone Water, to go LightGaze. It is where they brave the highest points in the mountains to see the multicolored lights that StarClan sends down every end-moon, just to make sure the Clan cats know that they are still there are keeping them safe. Now, though, she was back in the warmth of the camp.

Her nest was changed out, thanks to Tiger's eyes, her apprentice, and it was comfortable and cozy. Howling moon let her tail stray from the nest as she drifted off to sleep.

A rumbling jostled Howling Moon awake. For a moment she thought it was Hawk's Nests snoring, but she found that the gray striped tom was on the sunrise-patrol; his nest was empty, and scent was stale.

Glancing around, Howling Moon found she was the only cat in the warrior's den, other than Clouded Mountain. The rumbling hadn't stopped. In fact, it got louder and more jerky. Howling Moon found it was hard to stand without stumbling.

She locked eyes with Clouded Mountain and saw her own fear and confusion in his blue eyes. She stumbled over to his nest and stayed there, praying for the moment of fear to be over.

"Snow Tumble!" She heard a cat screech from outside.

Howling Moon's eyes went wide and round. Snow Tumbles were the main cause of death, other than cold and hunger. They were dangerous, with the huge packs of snow, rock, and ice all jumbled together, creating a deadly fall to any that got in its way. Howling Moon had only seen once in her lifetime, and it had killed her mother.

She raced outside, rushing to the cat who had warned the others. It was Dusted Ground. The young tom's eyes were wide and his pelt bushing. He looked like he wanted to fight the snow, his claws unsheathed and clinging to the ground.

"Shelter the kits!" she hissed at him. Dusted Ground flattened his ears, scrabbling off to the cave that was the nursery.

Clouded Mountain had made it out of the warriors' den, snow covering his already white pelt. "The warrior's den caved in. The brambles weren't sturdy enough," he panted, his tail bristling so it was twice the size. "I couldn't save anything."

Howling Moon touched her nose to his cheek briefly before backing away. "We can rebuild it. But for now, we need to-"

Her mew was cut off as another yowl wailed over hers. This one sounded like Stone Water.

 _Thank StarClan._ She breathed a sigh of relief. _Stone Water will keep things under control._

But the news she heard was far worse.

"Dear StarClan!" She could see the leader now, his gray pelt bristling from neck to tail. "The mountain is crumbling!"

The words sent a shiver down her spine, and Howling moon wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. His loud call had set off a chain of mews and wails.

"We have to get out of here!"

"We will never make it!

"We're going to die!"

Howling Moon's thoughts were making her dizzy. "I have to save the kits." She stumbled towards the nursery. Dark Shadow and Owl's Feather were gone, probably to help the others, leaving Dusted Ground to keep watch over the kits, who were cowering under his belly.

"Howling Moon!" Clouded Mountain cried to her, following her into the den. The noise was louder in hear, bouncing off the close walls and echoing to her ears.

"I relieve you of your duty." She spoke in a calm voice to Dusted Ground. "You must go and help your Clanmates." She may have directed her words at Dusted Ground, but her eyes were trained on Clouded Mountain, who shook his head.

"I will not leave you alone to die." He said. Howling Moon took Dusted Ground's place, crouching over the kits, and Clouded Mountain curled around her, his tail covering his paws.

"I love you."

Those were the last words Howling Moon heard before the cave crumbled. A chunk of rock broke from the ceiling, and fell on Howling Moon, hitting her on the head and leaving her unconscious.

Author's note:

Hi guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated this in a while. I've just been so busy with schoolwork and the theater and whatnot, but I promise I will get to updating regularly.  
I had major writers block during this chapter, and I hope it isn't too terrible. I usually don't like ending on a cliffhanger (#Sorrynotsorry) but it seemed like the best way to go.  
Just in case you didn't know, at the beginning of the chapter, Howling Moon went to this thing called the LightGaze. This is my version of the Northern Lights. It kind of gives a good point as to where they are in the world. Another thing is the Snow Tumble. I bet you already guessed what that is, but just in case you didn't know, it is an avalanche.  
I might be a little late to post next week. I am going back to school after spring break, and it takes a while for me to get back in the groove of things. Keep a lookout for the next chapter, and likes and comments are appreciated!


End file.
